Rhode Island’s growth this season has been substantial.
“Oh god,” were the first two words out of Rhode Island head coach Tammi Reiss’ mouth as she started to explain it.
Rhode Island returned 31.9% of its minutes played and 31.3% of its scoring from last season. The team had to build chemistry on and off the court as it welcomed eight new faces — including redshirt freshman guard Eva Agba, who joined the team midseason last year. Seven of the newcomers have played this year.
Many of the newcomers had to learn the defensive system, and the entire team had to learn the new offensive system Reiss and her staff installed, finding not only what they did best individually but then building synergy with each other on both sides of the ball.
The team clicked faster than Reiss expected it to, finding chemistry before the end of the nonconference schedule.
The team’s historic win against then-No. 16 N.C. State on Nov. 23 made senior guard Ines Debroise realize that the team could do big things, and she believes the loss against Princeton three days later helped the team grow. Whereas for sophomore center Albina Syla, the way the team came into practice after their loss to Rutgers on Nov. 13 made her realize this team was serious, but Rhode Island’s Dec. 30 win over Richmond was sealed it for her.
“I’ve been really impressed with how committed they’ve been to really buckling down and trusting in each other, believing in each other, playing for each other and being coachable every day … to our culture of how we wanna do things,” Reiss told The IX Basketball.
Though Rhode Island’s season started in November, Debroise believes the season began over the summer when many players were on campus and started building trust:
“I think it’s all about trust and building that over the months and over the weeks and over the practice[s],” Debroise told The IX Basketball. “And getting to know each other, know our strength[s] on the court, how to pass the ball to each other, where is [a] good … spot for each other?”
The foundation has paid off, as Rhode Island sits at 25-4 (16-2, Atlantic 10), earned a share of the regular season title for the second time, and earned the No. 1 seed in the A-10 Tournament for the first time.
Rhode Island was well represented in the A-10’s end-of-season awards this year: Reiss was named the Coach of the Year, three players were named to all conference teams, freshman guard Vanessa Harris earned a spot on the All-Rookie Team and was named the Sixth Woman of the Year. Rhode Island also had one player named to the All-Defensive Team and another named to the All-Academic Team.
Reiss built a top-notch defense out of offensive recruits
After averaging 60.2 points per game during the 2024-25 season, the fewest in Reiss’ tenure, she went to the transfer portal looking for offense. She ended up recruited senior guard Brooklyn Gray (Saint Louis) and graduate student guards Ta’Viyanna Habib (George Mason) and Valentina Ojeda (VCU).
Though she said she’s “always been a defensive coach,” Reiss’ pivot to offense in the recruiting process has paid off. The team is averaging 68.5 points per game and has an offensive rating (points scored per 100 possessions) of 103.7, both program bests since at least the 2009-10 season.
Reiss says she is overall happy with where her offense is right now. While she wishes the team was shooting better from behind the arc, she thinks their ability to both get to and sink shots from the free throw line makes up for it. Rhode Island makes 76.6% of its free throws (29th in Division I).
“We went out and we got kids that could create one-on-one for themselves and for others,” Reiss said. “We got kids that can pass. And then we have kids that can shoot the three and stretch the floor, respectable enough to stretch the floor.”
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As a result,
The defense is still strong this season and the second-best since Reiss took over, allowing just 53.8 points per game (sixth in Division I) and possessing a defensive rating (opponent points scored per 100 possessions) of 81.5 (17th in Division I).
“I recruited offense,” Reiss told reporters on Feb. 14. “And it just so happens that this team bought in and said, ‘No, coach, we’ll guard for you. We’ll guard and we’ll get it done.’ And they did. And now we’re the number one defensive team in the A-10. Didn’t plan it that way. God [has] blessed us.”
When assessing the possibility of recruiting offense, Reiss and the staff realized they could do enough as coaches to compensate on defense.
“We can scheme defensively. I can get in ’em enough to make ’em at least guard,” Reiss told reporters on Feb. 8. “They may not be the best one-on-one defenders, but a good coach can scheme different defenses. You can change coverages, you could go zone, you can do some things.”
Reiss started to see the buy-in defensively from the team after the Nov. 26 loss to Princeton, where the Rams were outscored 17-4 in the final 6:04.
As the season went on, Reiss saw the team continue to build trust and learn to play with each other. As conference play began, Reiss started talking to the team more about it, sharing that they were the best defense in the conference.
The team continued to buy into the defense, and Syla sees how well the team is communicating and the intensity they have during scout. She believes that when they play good defense, the offense comes more easily for the team.
Reiss believes the defensive success is because they have good pieces on that side of the ball:
“I wouldn’t say we have the best athletes, the quickest, the fastest, the ability to turn you over or press or do any of those things,” Reiss said.
“… We have the right combination [of ball pressure and size and strength], that perfect storm, that when you combined ’em, you have a little bit of everything. So it gives you some versatility. … They trust each other, and they play for each other. So they commit. If I’m gonna be in help, I got you. And we rotate, and we have each other’s back.”
Focused on the now
Reiss is so locked in on the game in front of her and being present that she doesn’t often think about how good the team has the potential to be. Instead, she focuses on what the team can do to get better and doesn’t let her players get complacent.
“I know we don’t lose because of complacency,” Reiss said. “… It may be lack [of] discipline. We may have not shot the ball well, but they will never not respect the game [of] basketball or respect our opponent to the point that they just don’t show up and play hard.”
Staying disciplined and in the moment is what Gray believes has helped them build a team identity, contributed to their past accomplishments and will contribute to their future success.
“I think one of our biggest assets is that we take every game head on,” Gray told The IX Basketball. “We don’t take any team lightly. It doesn’t matter what their record is. It doesn’t matter if their team is healthy, unhealthy. I feel like we take every day and every practice, every film, every team bonding moment, we take it at face value. And … we don’t look too far in the future. We just focus on what’s in front of us.”
The team also keeps their routine and habits consistent so they’re able to fall back on their preparation when it’s game time. Reiss believes the end of February and beginning of March is the toughest time because of the increased outside noise:
“You gotta keep that noise away from your kids, and you gotta keep ’em focused on the task at hand,” Reiss said. “And so that’s what I’ve tried to do. And past years, I wouldn’t say … I have always done a great job at that, but this year, I’m 10 toes in. I know the pitfalls. I’ve been there now, I know it. And the noise is done. … It’s focus time.”
Chemistry and collaboration
The team has players from four countries, including the United States, and four states, and Gray says it’s been fun to be surrounded by people from a variety of places who mesh well. Debroise thinks the different personalities coming together like the pieces of a puzzle makes the team chemistry great on and off the court.
Gray believes the team is successful this season because of the people in the program.
“They’re always in the gym, always have [a] smile on their face, always so uplifting,” Gray said. “Just the love that we have for each other, and our work ethic, just our togetherness as a whole, has been such an amazing experience for me. I don’t think I’ve experienced a team with so much heart for each other, we play so hard for each other.”
Reiss has talked throughout the season about how much her team enjoys road trips this year. Though some fans will travel to away games, Syla sees road trips as an opportunity for the team to learn to rely on each other.
“We only have [each other] and we need to have each other’s backs,” Syla told The IX Basketball. “So, it’s fun. It gives … [a] different kind of energy.”
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Debroise thinks that the time spent on the road has helped them build relationships with each other and build trust, including the trip to Dayton that the team took at the end of January, which was extended due to a snowstorm.
Rhode Island knew from the start that it wanted to be the most connected team and the best defensive team in the A-10.
“[Implementing those goals every day is] the thing that really, really just has gotten us to where we are today as a team, and what we’ve accomplished as a team,” Syla said.
Wanting the same things, including winning an A-10 championship, is part of why Gray thinks the team has had success this year, paired with unselfish players and an unselfish coaching staff. This season, the team is led by the players, something that has helped Reiss and she believes her players as well.
“It’s really given ’em confidence,” Reiss said. “And it’s made their bonds between them so strong because they’re able to communicate with each other now in an adult manner, good or bad.”
Rhode Island has multiple players who speak up and talk to the group, and all of the players hold each other accountable. The team captains handle everything off the court, and Reiss can use the time she used to spend putting out fires on coaching basketball and enjoying the team.
After Rhode Island’s win over Saint Louis on Feb. 8, Reiss said that the reason the team was 21-2 and on a 15-game win streak is because of their chemistry and love for each other. She is most proud of how they play for each other, love each other and have fun together.
“It is the secret sauce. If any coach can bottle that, I’ll take that over anything, any day. And it’s also a joy to coach,” Reiss told reporters on Feb. 8. “So the we over the me always.”
Gray agrees that putting the team before themselves is another reason why they’re so successful, even if it’s not easy.
“I feel like we talk about that constantly, about how maybe if you’re not getting as much minutes as you want, still being present on the bench and talking and communicating to your teammates,” Gray said. “Still having amazing energy, like when your teammates are stepping in and out [of] the game.”
She also credits her teammates who don’t get as many minutes but push those who do in practice with helping them prepare better for games and improve.
Debroise believes having a balanced team where anyone can go off in any given game is a strength and forces opposing teams to not just focus on one person. With everyone contributing, the players put the team first because they know that they need everybody to win the game.
Development across the board
This year, Reiss has tried to find ways for her staff to operate more efficiently and focused more on her own self-care. She makes sure she handles her own stress so the players don’t feel pressure or stress. She also believes that being more efficient, more productive, and having the players enjoy what they’re doing will make them play harder.
Debroise has seen the growth in Reiss over the last four seasons.
“She’s able to really reflect on herself every year,” Debroise said. “She knows her strength[s] and … weaknesses … And I really think that she’s able to know where she needs to grow. And seeing her also growing … the past four years … was very nice and incredible.”
In order to try to help her team peak at the right time, Reiss is utilizing her scout team to save her players’ legs, trusting her bench, and shortening practice.
Player development has always been an emphasis for Reiss and associate head coach Adeniyi Amadou, who coached with Reiss at Syracuse and has been on the staff since Reiss was hired in 2019.
“So we took this job, and we said, listen … we’ll get good kids, but … our focus is player development, no matter what,” Reiss said. “No matter what, we gotta fit it in the CARA [Countable Athletically Related Activities] logs. We gotta make sure they get 30 [minutes] to an hour every day on what they need to become a better player, not what our team needs, what they need to improve their skill sets.”
“And then we slowly adapted it to specifics to our offense, what kind of game shots they need, what kind of moves, what finishing series. We developed a whole system. But player development nowadays for us is — it’s been that for the past seven years — imperative [for] how we’ve had success.”
This season, senior forward Palmire Mbu — who was granted two years of eligibility — and Syla made significant jumps with both their playing time and scoring compared to their first season at Rhode Island (2024-25).
Mbu is averaging 11.0 points and 32.0 minutes per game, compared to 4.7 points in 18.5 minutes per game last season. Syla is averaging 8.6 points in 23.6 minutes per game this season, compared to 1.8 points in 5.5 minutes as a freshman. Both have started all 29 games this season, after not starting last year.
Confetti, challenges and more confetti
Appreciating fans is important for Reiss, and this season the team has started going around the entire perimeter of the court, high-fiving and thanking fans in every corner of the arena and the players have been signing postgame autographs as a group often.
Debroise believes it’s important for the team to show up for the fans the way the fans show up for the team.
“It’s just showing them that we care, we acknowledge them, and just that, we are very grateful that they’re taking the time to support us,” Debroise said. “And I think it’s just a way to show them that we really care and we want them to keep coming.”
After not losing a game in December or January, the Rams lost two games in the second half of February, to La Salle on Feb. 18 and to Richmond on Feb. 25.
Over the course of the season, Gray has seen how the team has continued to grow in both high and low moments in her first year at Rhode Island. She thinks the team was able to get closer after the loss to La Salle and that the loss shed light on what the team still needs to improve on.
“It’s just … little details that we need to correct and just find ways to get through it together, ’cause we’ve made it this far,” Gray said.
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Reiss noticed two common threads in her first three losses. In addition to giving credit to the opponents, she noted there’s a lack of discipline and toughness.
When she talked about the loss to Richmond after the Feb. 28 win over George Washington, she gave credit to Richmond, but also wished Rhode Island had been able to prepare the way they wanted to. The blizzard that dropped around three feet of snow meant the team couldn’t practice and only did a walkthrough, and she told her team that the loss was an anomaly.
Despite the late-season trip-ups, the team won a share of the regular-season title.
“There’s nothing more satisfying as a coach, to have the confetti fall and to cut down nets with this great group of young women, and I’ve never been prouder,” Reiss told reporters on Feb. 28.
After the team finished celebrating and cutting down the net, Mbu told reporters at the press conference about how grateful she is for the practice players and everyone who touches the program. She also reflected on what it felt like to win a regular-season championship.
“It’s crazy, ’cause you think about, like, ‘Oh, the first summer … practices are like, ‘Are we going to make it?’ And now, we finally made it,” Mbu said.
The season will continue for the Rams when they take on Loyola Chicago on March 6 in the quarterfinals, the first step in their goal to win the program’s first A-10 Tournament and go to the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 1996.
On Feb. 28, Mbu told reporters that going into the A-10 Tournament, the team has to learn from the last two weeks of the regular season, and even though it’s going to be tough, they need to push through until the end and play together like they have been throughout the year.
Debroise’ focus was more concise: “What we’ve been doing is focus one game at a time. So just focus on us, get some rest, and be ready to kick some ass.”
